Reserves: Wizards 4, D.C. United 2

January 22, 20109:07PM EST

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City Wizards Reserves
(2-3-3, 9 pts.) earned their second straight win in Reserve Division play
with a 4-2 win over the D.C. United Reserves (5-3-0, 15 pts.) at the
Arrowhead Training Field Thursday morning. Wizards midfielder Preki recorded
two second half goals while playing just 26 minutes and D.C. United forward
Matt Nickell scored a pair in front of a large crowd of family members who
made the trip to Kansas City from nearby Waukee, Iowa.

D.C. United quickly dictated the pace of the match early on, setting
up the game's first scoring opportunity in just the 3rd minute. United
midfielder Jason Thompson sent a cross into the box from the right side that
Matt Nickell slide in to take a stab at, but his effort rolled just wide of
the goal.

The Wizards got on the board first in the 7th minute when Diego
Walsh, playing in his first competitive match since undergoing surgery on a
sports hernia in May, turned his defender outside the right side of the box
and lofted a ball into the middle where forward Ryan Pore was set up. Pore
rose for a header and snapped the ball inside the right post, leaving no
chance for United goalkeeper Troy Perkins to get there for the save.

United quickly answered two minutes later when Matt Nickell scored
his first of two goals on the day. Midfielder Steve Guppy played a ball into
the box from the left side that Nickell chested down. He then turned and
danced around one Wizards defender before letting go of a low liner that
found its way inside the left post.

The two sides would exchange chances midway through the first half
when Wizards forward Ryan Pore's pounding shot sailed just inches over the
crossbar in the 17th minute, followed by a breakaway by D.C. midfielder
Jason Thompson in the 20th minute that Kansas City 'keeper William Hesmer
stopped with a great save to his left. From that point on, the Wizards would
take over the match.

Diego Walsh doubled the Wizards lead in the 28th minute when he
whipped a curling freekick over the D.C. United wall that clipped a
defender's head and was sent quivering into the upper left corner of the
goal, leaving goalkeeper Troy Perkins leaning the wrong direction and unable
to recover.

The second half saw much of the same from the Wizards as they seemed
to thrive in the stifling heat and saw the opposition wearing down in the
conditions. Preki opened the second half scoring in the 51st minute taking
the credit on a play set up by Diego Walsh. Walsh threaded through the
United midfield and waited just inside the top of the box as a pair of
defenders drew near. As they defenders approached, Walsh calmly slipped the
ball through to Preki, unmarked on the left. Preki then hammered the ball
inside the left post as Perkins was unable to make a play.

Six minutes later, Preki scored his second goal of the match. This
time, midfielder Daniel Dobson challenged for a ball at midfield and won,
knocking his opponent down and getting a clear look at Preki who was
streaking down the right flank. Preki took two touches to get inside the box
and sent a curling left-footed shot across the goalmouth that settled inside
the left side of goal for a 4-1 Kansas City lead.

Kansas City tried killing the match with ball possession, but D.C.
United made one last effort at closing the gap in the dying minutes as Matt
Nickell scored his second of the day in the 84th minute. A Wizards foul
outside the top of their own box drew confusion for the home side and
allowed D.C. United's Andrew Weber to set the ball down and take a quick
restart while Kansas City was still arguing the call. Weber found Nickell
inside the box and Nickell quickly toe-poked a shot that found it's way
under William Hesmer to bring the score to 4-2.

The hot and muggy weather took it's toll on both sides by the end of
the match despite the referees stopping play midway through the second half
to allow a water break for the players. The stoppage was agreed upon when
D.C. United midfielder Nana Kuffour was taken off in the 69th minute and
taken to the Wizards training room to be treated for heat exhaustion.